Riverside Valley Park

Stroll through buttercup-filled meadows alongside the winding River Exe with wonderful views across the city to its cathedral.

Location

One mile down river of Exeter Quay (between River Exe and Exeter Ship Canal).
A static map of Riverside Valley Park

Know before you go

Size
40 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

Car park close to Double Locks pub

Grazing animals

Yes, April to October

Walking trails

Exeter Green Circle (12 mile route)

Short walks

Access

Easy access cycle/walking paths, plus other informal paths which can be uneven and muddy.

Dogs

Under effective control

When to visit

Opening times

Always

Best time to visit

Any time

About the reserve

Riverside is one of six Exeter Valley Parks managed by Devon Wildlife Trust. 

Its 40 hectares sit between Clapperbrook Lane and Bridge Road.  This is an easy Valley Park to visit: it is close to the city centre and just a short walk from the historic Quayside.  It offers river views, excellent walking and cycling paths and flood plain meadows giving way to the wilder estuary.

Ash dieback

The disease ash dieback is now widespread in the UK and is present at many of our nature reserves, so we carry out tree felling across our sites in winter months. For your own safety please observe temporary path diversions and closures.

Where possible we will leave affected ash trees in place to decay naturally as an important habitat for wildlife. We plan to only fell diseased ash trees which pose a threat to people or infrastructure. Before trees are felled, we will check whether any rare or protected wildlife is present. If it is, we will postpone or avoid felling these trees. No felling will take place during the bird nesting season.

DWT’s Saving Devon’s Treescapes project are working with communities, landowners and businesses to help make Devon's precious treescapes more resilient in the face of ash dieback. Find out how you can get involved here.

NOTICE: If you are visiting our reserves, please note that there have been instances of H5N1 Avian bird flu found in birds in Devon. There is very low risk to public health, but we do ask that if you come across any unusual or unexplained bird deaths on or near our reserves, please do not touch them and avoid allowing your dog to come into contact with dead birds. Please report them to Defra here or call 03459 335577 and also report your findings to DWT by email at contactus@devonwildlifetrust.org.

Contact us

Contact number: 01392 279244

Download your free map and guide to exploring Riverside Valley Park

Watch an introduction to Riverside Valley Park

Site improvements

We're very grateful for a Landfill Communities Fund grant of £17,148 from Valencia Communities Fund, which has enabled these access improvements:

  • Upgraded nearly 370 metres of muddy path in the Leafland wooded area with durable membrane under a stone chip covering
  • Installed a new wooden bench at Leafland’s entrance
  • Replaced a fence section, kissing gate and steps near the canal path by Bromham’s Farm playing field changing rooms
  • Stone dressed a section of path near the area above to address potholes

This project has also been enabled by a donation from The Dixon Foundation.

Logos of Valencia Communities Fund, Landfill Communities Fund and The Dixon Foundation